The COVID-19 Pandemic and Our Nation’s Hospitals: What’s Next?

Paul Keckley, PhD, Managing Editor, The Keckley Report; and Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, Director, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), the University of Minnesota.  Hospitals across the country have responded courageously and admirably as the nation’s public health servants to address and manage the international COVID-19 pandemic.

Capacity management models have been critical to guide shelter-at-home policies; forecast demand for ICU beds, ventilators, personal protection equipment (PPE), and staffing; and alternate care sites have been designed and stood up as needed to handle the overflow. Now we are turning our efforts toward recovery, rescheduling postponed procedures, rolling out testing and contact tracing programs, and juggling the financial impact of disrupted operations. Will there be another wave of infections in the fall or winter? Where are we with national vaccine development? What are we learning about the disease itself? What national care standards, reimbursement guidelines, or regulatory policies are needed to help us prepare? Join us for this thought-provoking discussion of alternative scenarios for health system strategy.

See also:

Looking Ahead: The Pivot to Healthcare Politics and What to Expect
Living in a COVID-19 World Discussion